Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckabdul’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckabdul’, characterized by its dark pink and very pale yellow variegated bracts; green, light green and very light yellow variegated leaves; compact, upright and spreading plant habit; very freely branching habit; and excellent postproduction longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andherinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckabdul’.

The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring mutation of the commercialEuphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘Peterstar Marble’, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,877. The new Poinsettia was selected by theInventor in a greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif., in 1997. The objective ofthe Inventor's Poinsettia development program is to create newPoinsettia cultivars having interesting bract and leaf display,desirable bract and foliage color and form, strong and freely branchingstems and good post-production longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken atEncinitas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this newPoinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Eckabdul’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Eckabdul’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Dark pink and very pale yellow variegated bracts.

2. Green, light green and very light yellow variegated leaves.

3. Compact, upright and spreading plant habit.

4. Very freely branching habit.

5. Excellent postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas,Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parentcultivar, ‘Peterstar Marble’, primarily in leaf coloration as leaves ofplants of ‘Peterstar Marble’ are not variegated. Additionally plants ofthe new Poinsettia and ‘Peterstar Marble’ have been noted to bedifferent in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more uniform in plant shape thanplants of ‘Peterstar Marble’.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact than plants of‘Peterstar Marble’.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia have larger and more roundedinflorescences than plants of ‘Peterstar Marble’.

4. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are brighter andclearer pink and have lighter yellow margins than flower bracts ofplants of ‘Peterstar Marble’.

5. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower later than plants of the cultivar‘Peterstar Marble’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Eckabdul’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a topperspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckabdul’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical bracts and leaves of ‘Eckabdul’ (left) and ‘Peterstar Marble’(right).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas,Calif., under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhousewith day temperatures about 22 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to18° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown in16.5-cm pots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengtheningnights during the fall/early winter.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckabdul’.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.cultivar ‘Peterstar Marble’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,877.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 to 18 days at 26 to 28° C.Winter: About 15 to 18 days at 24° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 26 days at 26 to 28° C. Winter:About 26 days at 24° C.

Rooting habit.—Thick, freely branching, becoming fibrous withdevelopment.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded; mounding.

Growth habit.—Compact, upright and spreading. Very freely branching.Branching is enhanced by removing the shoot apex.

Plant vigor.—Moderate.

Plant height.—About 21 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16.5-cmcontainer, about 17 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Number of lateral branches: About eight lateralbranches are formed after removal of the terminal apex. Lateral branchlength: About 13.5 cm. Internode length: About 1.15 cm. Stem color:146B.

Foliage description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 8.Length: About 11.5 cm. Width: About 7.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:Acuminate. Base: Rounded acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,somewhat rugose. Mostly glabrous with very slight pubescence on lowersurface. Color: Variegated; tri-colored with green, light green andlight yellow coloration. Green colors towards center of leaf with lightyellow coloration towards margins. Young foliage, upper surface: 138A,147C and 1C. Young foliage, lower surface: 138B, 147C and 150D. Maturefoliage, upper surface: 137C, 147D and 1C. Mature foliage, lowersurface: 138A, 138B and 150D. Venation, upper surface: 138B. Venation,lower surface: 138C. Petiole: Length: About 5.75 cm. Diameter: About 2mm. Color: 145C.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development can be induced under long night conditions.Response time is about 8.5 weeks.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about eightper plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 29 cm. Height (depth): About 4 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usuallyabout 11 primary bracts and about 6 smaller secondary bracts perinflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 15 cm. Width, largestbracts: About 9 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded acute.Margin: Entire. Texture: Somewhat rugose becoming smoother withdevelopment. Aspect: Mostly flat. Color: Variegated; dark pink towardscenter and very pale yellow towards margins. Developing, upper surface:51B and 2D. Developing, lower surface: 51A and 2D. Mature, uppersurface: 51C to 51D and 8D. Mature, lower surface: 51D and 8D. Fadingto: Slightly lighter than 51D and 8D.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 10 per corymb. Diameter of cyathiacluster: Very tight, about 2.5 cm. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 5mm. Color: Immature: 144C. Mature: 144C. Peduncle: Length: About 3 mm.Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144C to 144D. Stamens: Stamen number: Verynumberous, typically more than 20 per cyathium. Anther shape: Oval.Anther size: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 10B. Amount of pollen:Scarce. Pollen color: 10C. Pistils: No pistillate flowers observed.Nectary color: 14B.

Disease resistance: No fungal, bacterial nor viral problems observed onplants grown under commercial conditions.

Postproduction longevity: Generally plants maintain good substance andbract color for about six weeks under interior conditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Eckabdul’, as illustrated and described.